The Man Sitting Alone At The Cafeteria Of Perpetual Succor Hosptal Poem by RIC BASTASA

he is black, native Filipino
wears a coat, white polo shirt
fat and big tummy
sipping coffee and alone
a book on the right side of his table
he is not reading it
an attache case is on his left leg
he is at the side of the glass window
of the second floor of this hospital run by nuns
below is the garden of palm trees and
grass and perennial violets and vietnam roses
he is not taking any breakfast
perhaps he is waiting for someone

i sit over a corner fronting him
i am observing the details of his existence
i know it is another sad story
but he is not talking about it
i know there is no use
what for is sharing another story
about life's tragedy?

will it be another story of a husband
contemplating about his next move
what to do with a wife stricken with
breast cancer at stage 4?

i look around
there is another man in shorts
riding on a wheel chair
pushed by a woman in her forties

an old woman, a child crying, etc. etc. etc.